Summer internships are a classic way for MBAs to explore new sectors and companies. The summer of 2020 proves to be no exception, with our HEC Paris MBA students securing great posts worldwide, ranging from bank placements to interning at the world’s largest brewery. We caught up with a few students to find out more about what they are working on and to ask how—if at all—COVID has affected their internship offer.

Their responses:

Estelle-Chaio Chiu

Community Operations, MBA Internship at Facebook EMEA, Dublin

Pre-MBA, my work experience was mainly in project-based digital banking and crowd funding in the APAC region. When I worked for Citibank, I founded their female leadership program to promote gender equality within the company.

How did you learn about the internship?
The recruitment information was posted on the HEC Paris Career Center’s website. I networked with alumni and friends to find out more about the position.

Why did you choose this internship?
I am quite excited to join the team, as I have been involved in social-empowerment issues for a long time. I want to learn how tech giants adjust their services to build a safer digital environment.  The role is mainly responsible for digital behavior & policy scaling up to solve inappropriate user behavior, such as fake accounts, hate speech, and harassment in global markets.

Has it been affected by COVID?
For the moment, my internship will be held virtually, but I am sure that as an internet company, Facebook will provide a memorable experience.

 

Marco D’Alo

Global MBA Summer Internship in Procurement, Sustainability & Value Creation at AB InBev

I had been working for six years in Abu Dhabi within the Oil & Gas industry. During those six years, I somehow found the time to establish a preschool in India, open a Bed & Breakfast in Florence with my brother, and complete the Mongol Rally, considered by many as the greatest motoring adventure on the planet.

How did you learn about the internship?
In October, AB InBev came to campus to talk about its Global MBA Program. Back then, I confess that didn’t know much about the company. Another company had scheduled an on-campus presentation at the same time, and I was undecided about which one to attend. I ended up at the AB InBev one, and I couldn’t have made a better choice!

Alex, Tim (both from my batch) and I teamed up on a business case to compete and try to land an internship at AB InBev. We were in the finals in Zurich. It was the HEC Paris MBA team, and four other teams, each representing top European business schools. Unfortunately, we did not win, but the AB InBev management team liked my performance and they decided to grant me a summer internship offer. Not bad at all, in the end…

Why did you choose this particular internship?
The internship is in Procurement, Sustainability & Value Creation. I will actively contribute to the fulfillment of the AB InBev 2025 Sustainability goals. I hope to put into practice the shared value theory we studied in the classroom, which is creating new policies and operating procedures that allow the company to maximize its revenues, while also offering benefits for the local community.

Has it been affected by COVID?
The 10-week internship was moved completely online in mid-June. However, as of the start of July, the internship became “physical” again and I moved to Zurich to complete the placement in their offices as originally planned.

 

Jacques Boussuge

Summer Associate IBD (M&A) intern at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, London

I am a Mergers & Acquisitions analyst, entrepreneur, TV pundit and former international rugby player. I played professionally for 12 years for Montpellier, Bath, Brive and Biarritz’s rugby clubs, earning a world-cup champion title with the national French team (U21) and gaining 7’s caps. As KPMG’s Head of Sports Advisory and an M&A analyst, I created, developed and led the company’s Sports Advisory Practice, closing deals in the sports sector. I am also the co-founder of a startup at Station F and a rugby commentator for RMC sport. 

How did you learn about the internship?
I applied to an online offer that I found.

Why did you choose this particular internship?
A summer internship in banking is typically the direct road to reaching a “bulge-bracket” investment bank. I hope to get a full-time offer afterwards to join a major bank.

Has it been affected by COVID?
At this moment, I am waiting to hear how the internship will be organized.

 

Cecilia Ramos

MBA Launch Intern – Retail at Amazon

Before coming to HEC Paris, I worked for 7 years at The Coca-Cola Company in Brazil. I began my career in Business Planning & Strategy and then I switched to Marketing as a Brand Manager, which was my main goal. Marketing is one of my passions and I would love to keep exploring it in other industries, such as Technology.

How did you learn about the internship?
I registered to the Launch Program through Amazon’s website. I also connected with two Amazonians before starting the process, who provided some valuable insights. After lots of preparation and interviews, I got the good news at the beginning of March.

Why did you choose this particular internship?
Before the MBA, I worked for over 7 years in the consumer goods industry and my main career goal is switching to technology. Getting this internship was quite a personal accomplishment. I hope to learn and absorb as much as I can so that I´m ready to build a career in that industry.

Has it been affected by COVID?
The internship should have taken place in the Paris office, but it has turned into a remote internship due to COVID. My team is based in Paris, and I hope I will get the chance to meet them in person soon.

 

Kevin Edwards

Marketing Intern at GE Healthcare Europe

Born and raised in Canada, I trained as a mechanical engineer with a specialization in biomechanics. I began working in the Marketing and Sales Operations side of the biotechnology industry, responsible for a portfolio of cardiac surgery prostheses and surgical tools at Sorin Group Canada. In 2016, following Sorin Group’s merger to become LivaNova, I transitioned to a Product Manager role where my portfolio grew to include cardiopulmonary equipment. In this role, I led the implementation of data-management software systems across Canada and spearheaded educational programs for surgeons, driving adoption across the country.

How did you learn about the internship?
A fellow student who knew of my history and career goals directed me to the internship offer on MBA Focus. I responded to the posting and went through a short interview process.

Why did you choose this internship?
Pursuing my MBA at HEC Paris was a chance to explore career opportunities in Europe and elevate my career path beyond a regional, operational focus. The internship at GE Healthcare Europe provides me with additional international exposure, and allows me to apply my skills to the entire European area with an emphasis on strategic marketing. I am hoping to develop skills with Digital Marketing practices and analyses, assessing how different content drives stakeholder engagement and builds sales opportunities in preparation for product launches.

Has it been affected by COVID?
COVID caused the length and location of the internship to change. It was originally set to begin mid-April on the GE campus but was delayed until the end of May while GE responded to the international crisis. It has converted to a fully remote internship.

 

Fernando Montero

Business development associate (mainly in Business excellence) at Tink Gmbh

I’m an industrial engineer by profession. Following my graduation from the University of Costa Rica, I worked as a Quality Engineer Intern at Abbott Laboratories, followed by 3 years at McKinsey & Company, in research and as an Operations Consultant.

How did you learn about the internship?
I was looking at the startup environment and technology industry in Berlin. I discovered the company and liked the business model they built and the products they traded (smart home devices). I had an initial screening with HR and then was directly interviewed by one of the founders, who offered me the position.

Why did you choose this internship?
I intend to follow a career in the tech industry to gain experience in business development and strategic initiatives. I plan to start my own company in the future and Tink Gmbh’s business model and environment is a great base to develop my ideas.

Has it been affected by COVID?
The internship moved to working at home for over a month, but now the startup is slowly bringing the team back to the office.

 

Karan Nimrani

Consultant – Young Policy Associate at Whiteshield Partner

I am an IT engineer by education. I have dabbled in entrepreneurship, marketing (for a B2B augmented/virtual/mixed reality solutions provider), as well as Financial Crime Risk at HSBC and Structured Trade Finance. My experience is a mixed bag, but I have always focused on solving problems, learning new things and looking for my next big challenge.

How did you learn about the internship?
I heard about it when I attended the Whiteshield Partners on-campus recruitment session in October.

Why did you choose this internship?
Finding answers and formulating strategic responses to the unprecedented challenges we face today will truly expose me to the macroeconomic landscape, and help me to build a better understanding of crisis response within one of the most dynamic and stressed stakeholders of our society – the government.

Consulting is a deeply analytical profession, so the internship will improve my problem-solving skills, and working specifically in policy consulting allows me to use these hard skills to impact millions of lives each time we work with a government. All this takes me one step further in my career goal of making a positive difference to the lives of “the common man”.

 

Sebastian Laenser

Project Lead, Sustainable Procurement Strategy at Porsche

I worked for Airbus as a Procurement & Business Strategy professional in India, France and the UK. In my role as Procurement Commodity Manager, I acted as the functional team leader to design a systematic supplier-portfolio analysis to leverage category strategies. Furthermore, I directed a cross-functional and divisional project team engaging stakeholders from 12 functions, 4 countries and 2 business divisions to create sourcing synergies.

How did you learn about the internship?
I built a relationship with HEC’s German Office and the Franco-Allemand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, so I came to know HR executives at Volkswagen and Porsche. After some get-to-know conversations, I interviewed and eventually landed the Sustainable Procurement Strategy internship.

Why did you choose this internship?
Since I was young, I have always admired Porsche and its unique and iconic sports car. I am eager to explore the automotive industry and Porsche’s company culture.  Additionally, I am also very keen to expand my procurement knowledge by adding the insights of a fast-paced industry and learning more about procurement with a sustainability focus.

Has it been affected by COVID?
My internship’s start-date was delayed, and I started working remotely. I can’t wait to meet my co-workers in-person, hopefully by the end of July.

 

Moazzam Khan

Business Program Manager (ASPIRE track) at Microsoft‘s Singapore office

I was born in Pakistan and raised in Singapore. I completed my undergraduate degree in Computer Science at the National University of Singapore. I’ve always had my heart in the business side of technology and was fortunate enough to start my career in technology consulting at Accenture. Afterwards, I joined Bitmain to work on product strategy and investments and then foodpanda, a food delivery startup, to work on their growth strategy and gain exposure to scale-ups right before joining the MBA program at HEC Paris.

How did you learn about the internship?
Microsoft had been on my radar from the outset and I applied directly on their website as soon as they posted their MBA internship.

Why did you choose this internship?
I plan to work in digital transformation after graduation. My previous experiences gave me some professional-services exposure, and I wanted to complement that with exposure from the service provider’s perspective, so Microsoft is ideal. At Microsoft, I would be leveraging their best in class product offerings to determine a post-COVID go to market strategy for small and medium businesses in Singapore, which would help me better understand Microsoft’s offerings and tailor them to the needs of the local market.

Has it been affected by COVID?
The internship was supposed to be offline and in-person. Microsoft managed this exceptionally well by migrating our internships online, and by reassuring us that they would bring us into their offices as soon as possible.